São Paulo – Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce Institutional Relations director Fernanda Baltazar is currently in Azerbaijan publicizing the experiences of Brazilian companies active in the halal goods market. The term halal designates products compliant with the guidelines of Islam. Fernanda delivered lectures during the Azerbaijan Halal Business Forum, in the national capital Baku, on Tuesday (8) and Wednesday (9). The event is hosted by the Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA).
Baltazar travelled as a result of an invitation extended to the Arab Chamber by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Brasília. The latter country is hosting the United Nations Climate Conference (COP29) next month. Next year’s edition is set to take place in Belém, in Brazil’s Pará state, and last year’s edition took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The three countries have come together in a troika to foster international cooperation in a bid to ensure that global warming is limited to 1.5ºC.
Sustainability was a key subject in the forum, which delved into halal not just as a sector of trade, but as an ecosystem, a lifestyle that also relates to sustainability. Baltazar said Azerbaijan is building a hub for halal companies looking to do business in the country and the region. “This is a really interesting halal market. It’s a major importer of meats, yet domestic production volume is small. Consumption is high around here,” the Arab Chamber director told ANBA. Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority country with a population of 10.1 million.
The Arab Chamber was invited to sit in a panel on small and medium businesses. During the panel, Baltazar presented Halal do Brasil, a partnership project between the Arab Chamber and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) to promote Brazilian-made halal goods around the world. The project includes skill development for businesses, trade promotion, and image-building.
Halal opportunities
“That was exactly what I conveyed: first and foremost, I discussed Brazil, the Brazilian context as it relates to the halal market because despite not being a Muslim market, we do have [halal]. Brazil has all this expertise, particularly in the protein sector, and it’s one of the biggest exporters. I also discussed existing opportunities for the Brazilian market and how, through this Arab Chamber project alongside ApexBrasil, we have been working on these three fronts, trade promotion, business skill development, and image-building,” she said.
In addition to joining the forum, the executive convened with KOBIA professionals to discuss potential joint projects and cooperation work. She also met with Dubai Chamber delegates in Baku, where the organization has an office.
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